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Don't Underestimate Damage Caused by Burned Out Nurses
Could urinary tract infections in hospitalized patients be caused in, in part, by exhausted, frazzled, emotionally drained nurses?
Yes, says a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. It shows that nurse burnout is linked to higher healthcare-associated infection rates (HAIs), and as a result, higher costs.
Reading the new findings about how nurses can negatively influence infection rates reminded me of another study with very different results. Those findings, presented earlier this year at the American Nurses Association's Nursing Quality Conference, showed that when nurses had certain specialty certifications, infection rates went down.
Comparing the results of these two studies should send up a red flag for nurse leaders. One study shows what happens to patient care when nurses are nurtured, encouraged, trained, and given the resources to succeed.
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Comments are moderated. Please be patient.
Heather (8/9/2012 at 5:12 PM)
has there been any study to burned out nurses in long term care setting or family practice clinic. I am the clinic nurse manager and the only nurse, I oversee 15 programs and case manage and see patients for wound care. I feel burned out.